Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, probably makes these cats a little hard to notice, but with their recent release In Loving Memory, 3-piece Last Falling is definitely on their way to something great. In Loving Memory is a masterful 16-track, hour-plus LP full of driving alternative rock songs.

Within the realm of rock there are three types of band. First and most common are those who congest our airwaves by rehashing the same old music, using the same 3 chords and same old hooks. Second are those who create something entirely fresh. This, however, is not always well received by the average listener. Lastly, there are those who expand on their influences and push the envelope to make something both fresh yet comfortingly familiar.

Last Falling has not been plagued by the first choice and lies mostly behind Door #3. Clearly tipping their collective hat to many great modern rock influences as Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots, they manage to honor their predecessors without coming off as a clone. Throughout the 16 songs the members tread familiar alternative rock territory, but each song has its own marking, having a ‘familiar’ sound without sacrificing too much artistic merit.

There is certainly no shortage in the talent department. The rhythm section of John Evangelista and James Callaghan is exceptionally tight and well calculated. They provide an excellent wall of sound for front man Bryan Ferguson to showcase both his guitar work and his born-for-rock vocal stylings.

For a three piece this band sounds big- in fact, they sound HUGE. The production on this CD is fantastic, as every riff, vocal line and additionally added instrument is precise and clear. Upon numerous listens this album unlocks all sorts of added post-recording touches.

The album is split in two sections: songs 1-8 and 9-16. In Loving Memory begins with the powerful ballad “Hold On”, which seems to set a mellow vibe for the rest of the album. However, the next couple songs are more along the lines of traditional Alternative Rock, fusing driving melodies and powerful radio ready choruses. Tracks like “Wasting Away”, “Heroine No. 2”, and “Get Away” have everything it takes to become traditional alternative rock classics. “Delight For A Passion (That Reigns To Destroy)” is a fantastic mood-setting instrumental track which really adds a nice break in the album. “Call You From Heaven” is another nice ballad along the lines of the opener.

The second half of the disc begins fusing laid back rock with some heavier alternative stylings, similar to some of the earlier songs. “One-Point-Six-One-Eight” may be my favorite song on the disc: after a dark yet beautiful progressive build, the song explodes into aural madness, combining beautiful ambience with balls-to-the-wall rock’n’roll. The odd, yet fitting “Rue Morgue” is a 2 minute instrumental with some unique organ work, while “Dying And Miss Treated (The Mourning After)” is a post-rock masterpiece. It’s sadly too short at only 1:30. These songs set the stage for the album’s climax on the nine-minute final track “Something Real”. This song really combines the best elements of all the previous songs, building them into one fantastic, emotional track.

This album had a confident beginning which only excelled as the album progressed. I found the later half of the album picked the right side of my brain a little bit more. Many of those tracks were a bit more ambient and progressive sounding, which is more up my alley.

Overall In Loving Memory is confident release. At over an hour long, it is a worthwhile investment, too. There may still be a bit of fine tuning before exploding as the next big thing, but they have their foot well into the door and will be turning many heads with this release.